Hello Kitty
by Karen19
Summary: Set in current times, Harm and Mac remember when they got a permanent house-guest. August 2009 challenge piece.


August 2009 challenge on another site, HBX, I do believe. Don't ask me why I went this way with this, because I don't know. Just say it's the effect of having several nights of bad sleep because of sunburned legs.

Harm and Mac were spending the weekend at the lake on Kitsap peninsula, one of the many benefits of living in the Pacific Northwest. After spending four years in London, they had been returned to the states.

Harm had been forced to retire on medical grounds when he'd been seriously injured in an altercation with a disgruntled Royal Marine. He'd had a skull fracture, and ever since he'd had memory lapses and with a lot of therapy been able to return to work as an attorney, in private practice.

Mac, who during their time in London been a troubleshooter for the SecNav, was rewarded by being given her first command, in Everett, Washington. (Let's just pretend there is a large Marine base in the Pacific Northwest. After all the Army and Air Force have a joint base in the Tacoma area.) The hours were worse, but the travel was much lighter. She was home most nights.

With Harm back to work, close to full-time again, they felt that their life was complete. As complete as it could be without children as her endometriosis had worsened, if that was possible, and she and Harm had made the heart-breaking choice to have a hysterectomy.

Mattie had been in their life, at least that first year in England, but had returned to the States for college. She'd graduated from George Mason, and then joined the Navy. She was currently stationed in Pearl. As time had passed contact was becoming infrequent, but Harm had commented to Mac as they were unpacking the car after another weekend on the lake. "I wasn't the best writing Mom when I was at the academy. She'll write when she wants to." When they'd moved into their home in Everett, they weren't sure whether or not they wanted to break down and get a pet. Harm didn't feel ready for it, he was home most of the time, and he didn't want to unintentionally starve an animal when his memory decided on being wonky. Mac thought otherwise, but knew that time would change that.

Then Snarky came into their lives. A gray and white tom Snarky decided that Harm and Mac belonged to him. He'd been abandoned, at a rest-stop near Yakima. Harm and Mac had driven to Vegas for a vacation and were on their way home.

Flashback

Two years ago

Sept 2009

Near Yakima, Washington

'If we stop now, we can make it the rest of the way home, flyboy." Mac said. She knew she shouldn't have had the refill on the soda when they'd stopped for supper in the Tri-Cities." Snarky heard the tall female say to the very tall male as they pulled into the rest stop.

"I remember you calling me that Sarah" the tall man said.

The two humans went parted ways as they went into the building that the humans used. Nobody ever stayed there long, even the mean people who had dropped himself and his siblings off in a deep box late that morning. As the day had progressed his siblings had crawled out of the box when he'd slept, the box was near the dumpster, and he kept himself hidden under the monstrosity when there was no one in the area, which wasn't all that often. He saw at least one sibling enter a vehicle when the human female, got out of a very long vehicle that was parked with the other long vehicles. However something or someone had always stopped him from doing likewise . Most of the time it was because the human had little kids, and Snarky was just not comfortable with babies, they just weren't his thing. Older kids, at least girls, he wouldn't mind. Or they had evil pests with them known to the rest of the earth as dogs. That would just not do.

A couple of options drove in and left, but Snarky didn't want to leave just yet. He knew the right humans were coming. It was now dark, and they latest vehicle seemed to be cat people. He could tell. Snarky noted that the male had left his window open down far enough to jump in and he did just that, now for a place to sit. There was a place just behind where the man was sitting, so Snarky sat himself down. A few minutes later the man and woman returned, and did not notice him. Snarky knew this was good. The man turned on the music maker and jazz was heard. This was much better than that infernal racket his former owner made with what he called music that was so loud he could be heard a county away. Snarky was lulled to sleep by the music.

They were headed west on I-90, almost to Seattle and their turn-off to head north when Mac found Snarky. She'd put the book she was reading in Harm's bag, which was exactly where Snarky was located. "Harm, we have a passenger."

"What sort of passenger?" Harm, apparently the name of the man, asked jokingly.

Mac leaned over to get a closer look. "The four legged variety. Here kitty." Snarky could see that the female had found him, and could tell that he had made a good choice. He knew he was old enough to be on his own, as he'd heard his former owner say to his momma. "That was the last batch you'll have, its' been six weeks, you and I are going on a trip, then they are going to take a short trip." His former owner said menacingly.

The woman who had fed him tidbits had been very quiet, crying silently while he said that. The momma cat had been hers before the man had come into her life. She had made a mistake getting involved with him, she knew that now, it was too late for her beloved Fluffy, and for her kittens.

"I can you have been around Nikki Roberts, Harriet has her room done in that."

"No, flyboy, I'm talking about a real cat, can't tell until I pick it up if it is a tom or not." With that she reached over just a bit and picked Snarky up. The tom could tell that she was a cat lover; by the way she gently picked him up and brought him forward to sit on her lap. "My guess is he" as she double checked, "is just old enough, we should double check to see if this little guy is a hitchhiker or" her voice got hard suddenly" or was dumped.

Harm knew that Mac had wanted to get another animal, but hadn't wanted to while they were stationed in England, and until recently their housing situation had necessitated that they not have pets. Now they could have whatever they wanted, as long as it was not prohibited by the county or state. It was love at first sight for Mac and the cat.

"My guess is that whoever had you was a real meanie, weren't they." Mac said to the kitten.

"Meow."

Harm was driving and watching the bonding between his wife and the kitten. He hoped that the cat had been left there, as he was sure that Mac did not need any more unhappiness in her life currently.

Mac was wondering what to do, the kitten seemed thin, and they did not have anything other than water with them. "Harm, I know we are within an hour of getting home, but let's get supper now."

The greater Seattle area had its own version of Beltway, and Harm knew, from experience, that there was one fairly close to where they were so he pulled off the interstate and drove to the fast food franchise. He knew without question what he wanted, and what Mac would order. His memory was good in that regard.

The line was almost nonexistent so Harm pulled up to order. "One number 4, with coffee, one number 11 with espresso,"

"And one children's meal, chicken, and milk." Mac piped in, loud enough to be heard by the person on the other side of the glass.

"Will that be all?" the tinny voice said.

"Yes." Harm replied and then heard what the total would be and pulled ahead to wait for their order. "You're hungry tonight." Harm commented.

"This little guy needs to eat, and we're close enough to home that we should be okay without any more stops, and I know for a fact that we have no milk in the house for him to drink. We used the last of the gallon when we left for Vegas. And we have some kitty litter in the trunk, from last winter."

Harm hadn't even considered that the cat might be hungry or thirsty. His mother had been allergic to both cats and dogs so he'd had neither as a boy.

They were interrupted by the arrival of their order and Harm made quick work of his grilled sandwich before heading back out on the freeway. Mac snatched a few fries then proceeded to break the nuggets into small pieces and feeding the obviously hungry kitten. After a few bites she reached over to her travel mug and took the lid off the cup. Making sure that the lid was sealed she then opened the container of milk and poured some in. the cat went and began to lap up the milk.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you have great maternal instincts?" Harm said, once again regretting the fact that they had not had children. He could tell just how good Mac was in dealing with a small animal. How much more she would have been with an infant.

She took a couple of bites of her burger while the kitten lapped up the milk in the lid. She laughed, a bit ruefully. "Not as often as I've been told I have a great karate chop."

"Meow," was the response as the lid was now dry. He wanted more food and walked over, the few steps, to where Mac had his chicken nuggets

"If he were Jack Keeter, I'd say that he's hungry, and when he's hungry he can be more than a bit snarky." Harm commented.

"I like that, let's see if he likes it. Hey there Snarky, do you like the name." Mac cooed.

"Meow was the reply.

"Snarky it is." Mac declared.

He liked it, until much later when he happened to look at a book in the room of the house that had many books and little furniture, he didn't go in there often. He was a well read cat; after all, his human's were attorneys, whatever that was. He found out what snarky really meant. But he knew that they loved him so he didn't mind, especially when he heard the names of some of the other cats in the neighborhood.

End Flashback

When they got home, they noticed, among the other mail, a letter from Mattie, who, had actually written a long letter to them. I don't know how long the power will be out, where I am at, so I going to write you. It's hard to believe how long it's been since you came into my life Harm the letter began. It turned out that she would be coming for Thanksgiving, if was all right with them.

Snarky, who had free reign of the house, was not to sure about this interloper that seemed to take all the attention when she did visit started planning what he could do to make the interloper leave, and it looked like he had a couple of months to plan.

The end.

If you want to write a prequel to this, where Harm is injured, go ahead, just let me know.

The challenge was to use these to phrases.

Harm: Did anyone ever tell you that you have great maternal instincts?

Mac: (ruefully) Not as often as I've been told I have a great karate chop.


End file.
